What is Normal?

I would like to believe that I am somewhat Normal, and I am raising my children to be Normal.

Are there guidelines to be considered a Normal family, because if there are I would like a copy?

I am trying my best to achieve this goal with my family.

This is a difficult task considering I was raised in one of the most dysfunctional family you could ever imagine.

I will paint you a picture of my mother side of the family:

She was child number eight out of eight growing up in what was called the “back of the yards” located on the south side of Chicago. Out of eight children no more than two of them had the same father. Most due to Grandma being a drunk, at family gathering I can remember the drunken stories being told these will either make you laugh or wonder how, one that came from this type of family hope for a normal life.

We have Uncle Douglas that what born in a field somewhere out in Tennessee, uncle Tommy was almost flushed he born when gram was on the pot. These are some of the tails that I remember being told.

I am going to take a guess with this one Not Normal on any level. Here are some true stories of my totally dysfunctional holiday get together

Ready or not

Uncle Tommy smashed chasing Uncle Douglas down Damon Avenue. At 2am with the vent pipe from grams heater (visuals this) there goes grams chasing after the both of them with her house slipper LOL NOT NORMAL

Uncle Andy bring his new girlfriend to a holiday dinner. this one he met roller-skating naked on Western Avenue NOT NORMAL BUT VERY TRUE!

When I had met my husband and went to the first family get together I was shocked no one drunk "thought to myself this can't be" everyone was happy to be spending the day together"am I dreaming". They talked about old time it was a wonderful day. I did not think this was possible, but at that point in time I decided that this is what a normal holiday should be

Not a drunken war I thought to myself Wow this must be what normal is.

This is how I want my family to be, so by choice I don’t have a lot to do with my mother side of the family. In an all reality I do not talk to any of them, this probably sounds really bad to many but I am hope that this is how to achieve the title that so many call NORMAL.